Historical battlefield cartography

Create original maps for GMT Games’ GBACW Series

Use HexDraw 2 to turn historical reference material into an original battlefield map for the Great Battles of the American Civil War (GBACW) format, without reproducing a published game map.

Cloyd's Mountain battlefield map in HexDraw 2 with wooded ridges, roads, creeks, farms, slopes, and numbered hexes — Cloyd’s Mountain demonstrates how historical reference material can guide a new HexDraw battlefield map.

Historical board setup

What the blank template preconfigures

The GBACW preset supplies suitable map dimensions, hex layout, numbering, terrain definitions, and elevation tools. The board begins empty, ready for terrain traced and interpreted from source material you have the right to use.

Suitable battlefield dimensions
Numbered historical hex layout
Terrain and elevation setup
Large-map print preparation

Map characteristics

Ridges, watercourses, routes, and landmarks

Historical battlefields depend on the relationship between elevation and movement. Broad hills and detailed slopes frame wooded areas, roads, creeks and rivers, farms, buildings, and named locations. Labels help connect the playable map to its historical geography without obscuring the hex grid.

Relevant tools

Translate historical sources into editable terrain

Place a permitted reference image beneath the map, then position, scale, rotate, and fade it while rebuilding terrain above. Vector Paint creates long roads and watercourses with few control points; hill, terrain, orchard, building, and label tools add the battlefield detail.

Reference-image underlays
Elevation levels and slopes
Roads, creeks, and rivers
Woods, farms, buildings, and labels

Battlefield details

From blank grid to printable historical map

Planned image: the preconfigured blank historical battlefield template.

Planned image: elevation levels and wooded slopes around a battlefield road.

Close HexDraw 2 view of farms, buildings, a creek, roads, woods, and numbered battlefield hexes — Farms and buildings sit alongside roads, wooded ground, and a creek in this original map detail.

Adapt the format

Every setting remains available

Change the grid, dimensions, numbering, elevation palette, terrain, artwork, labels, or print setup whenever the scale and geography of an original battlefield require it.

Return to all HexDraw map templates

HexDraw 2 is an independent product and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or approved by the publishers or rights holders of the games and series referenced on this page. Product and series names are used solely to describe compatible map formats and possible applications.